Skyline Gang: Trial of Darkness

Chapter 9

The rest of the day seemed to have gone relatively well. Everything ran on schedule. The show went exceedingly well again, though it started to lead people asking if a new show was in the works. Time to start brainstorming for another show soon. Having more than one show running might be a bit of a hassle, but if the Gang kept it balanced enough, everything should be fine. The only problem in the Skyline all day was just teenagers trying to harass the staff and some other guests. It led to them being escorted out and given a stern warning. Aside from that, almost everything ran as smoothly as they could.

The only thing that was out of place was Bud's absence. He was having some trouble in doing his research, leading him to be holed up in his room. Dude was quick to spin the story that he wasn't feeling well and needed some time off. As much as Dude didn't want to, he used Bud's autism as a reason for his sudden sick leave. Thankfully, that was enough. Everyone else in the Gang knew the truth. Dude couldn't hide it from them. He told them about his discovery in the attic and what Bud was up to. He extremely stressed that no one disturbs him. He knew how Bud was when it came to his work and that he would be more than unhappy if someone distracted him. Something that Dude caught Sprout and Misty trying to do. Twice. Sprout intending to play a prank. Misty...actually Dude didn't know what she was planning, but probably something similar to what Sprout had in mind.

After hours of not hearing anything, Dude decided to check on Bud. Some fruit and a bottle of cool water should be enough to help with an offering. He knocked as calmly as he could, but Bud didn't answer. Did something happen to him? No, try not to think like that! Maybe he was wearing a pair of ear defenders or noise cancelling headphones? Dude knocked a little louder, hoping for the best and fearing the worst. His prayers were answered when Bud finally opened the door. A pair of headphones hung from his neck, classical music being heard from them. Did he hear those noises like Dude had and tried to block them out? Clicks and whirs from his small robotic helpers can also be heard from within the red room.

"Thought you could do with a break." Dude smiled kindly, holding out the food and drink.

"Thank you. Please come in." Bud sighed, looking incredibly relieved. Did he not give himself time to stop and take a break? Dude didn't want to think that Bud wasn't taking any breaks. He hoped that he was. Regardless, he stepped in the bedroom, taking in everything. It was still like how his room was in Pavilion. A few small robots were set to work. Some were scuttling on the floor, going under the bed and chest of draws to clean, while some were flying on the ceiling to clean away the corners. The only thing that was different was Dude's discovery and the dark aura surrounding it. The artefact was now in a stand. A couple of Bud's robots were scanning it at a distance. One robot was laying on the desk, completely broken. It was like it was short circuited and smashed itself on the desk. It was impossible to think that Bud would do it himself. Bud's tablet was on the bed, the screen flashing a little as it collected data from the robots.

"What have you found?" Dude asked, hoping to get some straight answers.

"This is the Sceptre of Shadows. It shouldn't be here." Bud immediately became more serious. He sat down on the bed, scooping up his tablet. He gestured for Dude to sit down so that he could share his findings. "Unfortunately I haven't found that much. The information is extremely limited. I find that unusual and unsettling. Something like this should have more information."

"That doesn't sound good. What have you been able to find?" Dude mused, glancing at the screen in front of him and his friend.

"From what I have gathered, there is a myth surrounding it. A rather unsettling myth, and one that doesn't seem to be that well known internationally." Bud explained, his face looking grim. With a quick swipe on his tablet he showed an image of a stone carving. It appeared to be broken, making part of the ancient text incomplete. However, there was a carving image of the Sceptre. "I had also found this image of a subscription. It's partial but from what I've been able to translate, it's warning about a form of "Darkness". From other information that I've found, it's supposedly acted as like a tool to stop it from coming. Unfortunately, the source isn't fully reliable as there are other conflicting details. I've contacted several museums and archaeologists, but they know even less about this thing. Not many know about this, and those that do all called it a myth that shouldn't be remembered."